How to make the most from events

Attending events can be a daunting experience, especially for those who are introverted or shy. However, it can also be a valuable opportunity to network and make important business connections. As someone who has attended many large events, I have developed my own strategies for making the most out of these experiences.

Five years ago Olesya Matveychuk brought together me, Inna Stelmakh, MBA , Alexandra Govorukha , and a few others to swap stories about attending large events and how to make the most of them. I shared my experience of going to CES, but I'll never forget listening to Inna's advice. Inna advised to talk to people where ever you can. For example, during lunch if a person is eating, ask if their soup is tasty. Or simply approach and compliment their outfit. It was scary for me to come to a person during a lunch and ask about soup. Now, I love networking and similar communication.?

Over time, I have developed two different approaches that I use depending on the situation, analysing a person I am going to talk to, and my own personal state - level of energy, mood and business goal. I highly recommend you to have different strategies and tactics - its better to have different tools.

Another example what does it mean to have different tactics. Sometimes, I focused solely on the quantity of contacts I made, while other times I prioritized building strong relationships with a select few. I found that just collecting a lot of business cards with cold contacts didn't help me to stand out and be remembered, while focusing solely on one or two warm contacts was too limiting.

Eventually, I realized that having a mix of both was crucial. Depending on the business needs and goals, the conference strategy could range from collecting as many contacts as possible, to building strong relationships with one or two important contacts. It's important to set clear goals and choose a strategy before attending the event to avoid feeling overwhelmed and lost in the crowd.

In conclusion, networking is an essential part of attending any event, and it's important to have a clear strategy and approach to make the most of your time and interactions.?

Based on my personal experience, here are some key takeaways to consider:

1. Formalize a goal of the conference - why are you going their and what are you going to bring to yourself or your business as a result.?

2. Remember the advice of my colleague Inna and don't be afraid to start a conversation by commenting on something simple, such as someone's outfit or food.

3. Define your strategy - are you proactively collecting contacts or targeting specific individuals and focusing on them?

4. Develop your own list of communication options and tactics and use mix of them - active and passive, where you can start with a small talk about food or just introduce yourself and ask how they are enjoying the conference.

5. Divide your search and establishment of contacts into groups - networking during the event, search among speakers, everyone who posted something about the event on Linkedin, visiting booths, and mix it up.

6. Follow up is key! Write simple follow-ups right away, reminding the person you enjoyed meeting them and recalling what you talked about. Follow up in detail when you sit down to review the results of the conference or prepare what you learned.

Attending events can be a valuable experience for building your network, but it's important to have a clear strategy and approach. Don't be afraid to start a conversation and develop your own list of communication options. Divide your search and establishment of contacts into groups and don't forget to follow up!

What are you already using from this? What was new and interesting to you?